Hoarding has become a nationwide cause célèbre, with shows such as Hoarding littering (pun intended) the airwaves; and help for “object” hoarders, mostly focusing on hoarding cleanup of homes, is a fast-growing industry. But there is another dimension of hoarding that isn’t as widely known, and it’s doubly troubling because it involves the suffering of the innocent. That being said, recently there has been more media coverage about this disorder, and public awareness is in fact increasing. [See Smelly Scene; Rainbow's End; LAPD Online.]

Let me be clear about this: Animal hoarding is a mental disorder. We’ve heard the party line: “They want to help the animals, they’re just overwhelmed.” Or, “They really love their animals, but it just got out of hand.” Well, that’s just not the whole story.

The pathological accumulation of animals, using the following criteria:

Having more than the typical number of companion animals.

Failing to provide even minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation, shelter, and veterinary care, often resulting in illness and death from starvation, spread of infectious disease, and untreated injury or medical condition.

Denial of the inability to provide this minimum care and the impact of that failure on the animals and human occupants of the dwelling.

Persistence in accumulating animals.

So, what to do? The situation requires more than just cleaning a hoarding home; the animals must be captured by professionals and either placed in shelters for adoption or, sadly, euthanized because of the severity of their condition. The owners are usually wildly reluctant to surrender their animals, believing that they are being well cared for despite evidence to the contrary.

See the signs: Unsanitary environment, animals with obvious disease or open wounds, strong odor of urine/ammonia.

Reach out: If you know the person, express your concerns. If not, try to enlist the help of a friend or relative.

Pool your resources: Contact local social service groups, mental health agencies, and animal rescue organizations; also try the Anxiety Disorders Association of America or the International OCD Foundation to find a listing of therapists in your area who are trained to treat hoarding issues. [Note: evidence confirms that animal hoarders will not recover without some form of intervention and therapy.]

Rescue the animals: You will probably have to enlist the aid of local animal control; be prepared for vigorous resistance from the owners. They usually will not want to surrender their animals without a fight.

Stay in touch with the hoarder and encourage him or her to seek therapy. This support will go a long way toward helping the hoarder achieve a long-term recovery.

Help for an animal hoarder unquestionably involves professional support and therapy, as does help for an object hoarder. But it has to begin somewhere; recognizing the signs and taking compassionate action can start the process and help the hoarder as well as the animals caught in this destructive cycle.